The Treasury of Lives

The Second Riwoche Jedrung Drakpa Gyeltsen (rje drung 02 grags pa rgyal mtshan) was born in 1591. He was recognized as the reincarnation of Tsokye Dorje (mtsho skyes rdo rje, 1530-1590) by Karma Drakpa Namgyel Pelzangpo (karma grags pa rnam rgyal dpal bzang po), who himself was the reincarnation of a man named Gyelse Pema Gyelpo (rgyal sras pad+ma rgyal po, d.u.). Karma Drakpa gave him teachings on the Kagyu school in general and the Taklung Kagyu in particular, together with the complete transmission and empowerments of the tradition.

Drakpa Gyeltsen took ordination from a man named Yatang Zhabdrung Drokawa Namgyel Puntsok (ya thang zhabs grung grog kha ba rnam rgyal phun tshogs) who may have been the eighteenth throne holder of Taklung, Namgyel Puntsok. This man gave him the name Namgyel Drakpa Pelzang (rnam rgyal grags pa dpal bzang). A man named Garwang Chokyi Wangchuk (gar dbang chos kyi dbang phyug) also gave him the name Karma Drakpa Gyeltsen Chok Tamchele Nampar Gyelwai Lha (karma grags pa rgyal mtshan phyogs tham cad las rnam par rgyal ba'i lha).

Starting at the age of fifteen, in 1605, until the age of forty-three Drakpa Gyeltsen resided at Yanggon (yang dgon), a branch of Riwoche Monastery (ro bo che dgon) that he constructed, engaging in both New and Old Translation practices such as the ten dharma protectors, Vajrakila and the  Eight Commands (bka' brgyad). He also renovated the buildings of Riwoche monastery and the hermitage there, Yelpuk (yel phug).

Drakpa Gyeltsen taught a number of young disciples, including the the Fifth Zurmang Trungpa, Kunga Namgyel (zur mang drung pa 05 karma blo gros kun dga' rnam rgyal, 1633-1712); Zurmang Garwang Karma Tenkyong (zur mang drung gar dbang karma bstan skyong, d.u.), Gyaton Trungpa (rgya ston drung pa, d.u.), Gangchen Lotsāwa Lodro Tenpa (sgang chen lo tsA ba blo gros bstan pa, d.u.), and Jangki Rongpa Nangso ('jang gi rong pa nang so, d.u.).

Choje Ngawang Namgyel (chos rje ngag dbang rnam rgyal, d.u.) of Taklung Monastery (stag lung dgon) invited Drakpa Gyeltsen to Tibet, but conditions, primarily the war between Tsang and U, did not allow it for it. A number of lamas from the Tsang area fled to Riwoche following the destruction of monasteries, including the twentieth throne-holder of Taklung, Tashi Peldrub (bkra shis dpal grub, 1600-1671) and the Sixth Zhamarpa, Chokyi Wangchuk (zhwa dmar 06 chos kyi dbang phyug, 1584-1630), whom Karma Drakpa asked to take control of Riwoche, briefly changing the tradition of the monastery to Karma Kagyu.

Later, Riwoche was repeatedly attacked by the King of Beri, and Drakpa Gyeltsen and Karma Drakpa fled to Markham, where Karma Drakpa passed away. Drakpa Gyeltsen then went to Taklung. Following Gushri Khan's invasion of Kham and Tibet in the early 1640s, and his defeat of Beri, Drakpa Gyeltsen returned to Kham and to Riwoche, but he passed away while en route, at the age of fifty-two.